Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Today I have chosen a very practical portion of scripture for our devotional reading, a passage that is practical and prophetic.John 16 takes place at the end of the "Passover Seder" that Jesus and His disciples were observing the night before Jesus would be crucified the next afternoon at 3:00pm on the day of "Passover".

Jesus was still teaching His disciples at the meal before His arrest, followed by the night of beating and Crucifixion the next day. He was also trying to comfort and encourage His disciples, these men who had traveled with Jesus for the last 3 1/2 years leading up to "Passion Week". These men were very anxious not knowing what would happen to them.

Jesus had told them that He was going to be crucified. For the last six months before the Lord's death the disciples were aware of what would happen to Jesus but fearful of what might befall them.

Jesus told them that it was actually expedient that He must die, "go away", verse 7, because if He did not depart the earth the "Comforter" would not come to them. Using the term "Comforter", Jesus was referring to the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit, verse 8, would "reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment". Verses 12-14 give us much insight into the ministry of the Holy Spirit, which is somewhat different than what the world thinks that ministry is today.

Jesus said that He must depart so that then the Holy Spirit would be able to come. Don't misunderstand, the Holy Spirit is "omnipresent", He is always present, but the Lord was referring to the new, unique ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 13 says that the Holy Spirit "shall not speak of Himself ". Any activity that would attract attention to the Holy Spirit is not of God, according to Jesus. Verse 14 says that the Holy Spirit's ministry is to glorify Jesus, "He should glorify Me".

No one should ever praise the Holy Spirit for what He, the Holy Spirit, has done. The Holy Spirit should not speak of Himself but only "glorify Jesus". There is another ministry for the Holy Spirit according to Jesus. Jesus said, verse 12 that "He had many things to tell us but we may not be able to bare them".

Therefore, Jesus must go so He can send the Holy Spirit to "guide us into all truth", verse 13, and "to show us things to come".

I often tell those who hear me preach and say that I have given them so much information they don't know if they can assimilate it into their brain, I tell them that it's in their brain, having entered through their "ear gate" by listening to me, and that the Holy Spirit will teach them the prophetic truths of God's Word.

What a blessed thing that Jesus did for us, not only His death, burial and resurrection that gives us eternal life, but His sending of the Holy Spirit to teach us "things to come".

PRAYER THOT: Thank you Jesus for sending us the Holy Spirit to teach us things to come. Allow the knowledge of these prophetic truths to help us live our lives as we await Your soon return.